Research and Development

WABCO opened the $30 million Global Technology and Innovation Center in August of 2018 in Hanover, Germany. Accommodating over 420 employees, the 124,000-sf R&D hub will provide engineering and product development labs for the creation of automotive technologies. Designed to promote collaboration and interaction, the center will support the development of advanced safety and efficiency systems for autonomous, connected, and electric commercial vehicles. Additionally, WABCO opened a customer care center in July of 2018 in Rochester Hills, Mich.

Innovation hubs and incubators are emerging as the best solution to help universities, entrepreneurs, researchers, and students transform their creative ideas into viable commercial ventures. Users want facilities that focus on entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation; foster interdisciplinary collaboration and partnerships; offer responsive and flexible spaces; create a spirit of ground-up innovation; support commercialization of ideas/products; and connect to nearby universities, companies, and amenities.

Washington State University broke ground in September of 2018 on the $61.3 million Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Pullman. Built as an addition to the existing Paul G. Allen Center for Global Animal Health, the 62,500-sf project will accommodate the detection and diagnosis of zoonotic diseases and infectious agents such as avian influenza, BSE, foot and mouth disease, West Nile virus, and pandemic flu. The facility will also house teaching labs for programs in veterinary medicine. Completion is expected by January of 2021.

The University of Tennessee opened the $118 million Ken and Blaire Mossman Building in September of 2018 in Knoxville. Designed by McCarty Holsaple McCarty and Lord Aeck Sargent to promote interdepartmental collaboration, the six-story, 222,000-sf facility accommodates programs in microbiology, biochemistry, psychology, nutrition, and cellular and molecular biology.

Premier BioSource broke ground in August of 2018 on a $7.5 million facility for the production of research swine in Rensselaer, Ind. The 78,000-sf farrow-to-finish complex will accommodate 600 breeding sows, housing a total of 4,752 pigs at full capacity. The facility is strategically sited in Jasper county to enable Premier BioSource to meet the needs of clients in the eastern United States. Completion is expected by June of 2019.

The University of Washington opened the Life Sciences Building in Seattle in September of 2018. Designed by Perkins+Will, the collaborative facility provides five floors above grade and two subterranean levels for the Department of Biology. The 207,000-sf project comprises a 187,000-sf teaching and research building and a 20,000-sf greenhouse. Providing a gateway between the main and south campus, the facility features a five-story glass atrium with a communicating stair to promote interaction among students and faculty.

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse opened the $82 million Prairie Springs Science Center in September of 2018. Designed by SmithGroupJJR and River Architects, the 187,000-sf facility houses the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Geography/Earth Science, Mathematics, Microbiology, Physics, and River Studies, as well as accommodating the offices of the Dean of the College of Science and Health.

LA BioMed is planning to build a $63 million bioscience research facility on its existing campus in Torrance, Calif. The four-story building will include an 18,000-sf business incubator able to accommodate up to 30 companies at full capacity. The project will support the translation of research discoveries into innovative solutions and products. Occupancy is expected in February of 2019. 

Bradley University is constructing the $100 million Business and Engineering Complex in Peoria, Ill. Featuring flexible learning spaces to promote interaction, the 270,000-sf facility will house the Foster College of Business, the Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology, and the Institute for Innovation through Collaboration.

Universities and businesses have worked together for decades. Today, changes in funding and in STEM career paths have made those partnerships more attractive than ever—so attractive, in fact, that many institutions are planning new spaces specifically for them. With limits on government funding in recent years, and state and local funding stagnant, many institutions are seeing 25 to 30 percent of their research funding coming from outside sources, primarily private industry. That has led to more elaborate and specific consideration of industry partnerships as a part of strategic planning.

NASA Glenn Research Center will begin construction in fall of 2018 on the Research Support Building in Cleveland. Walsh Construction Company has been awarded a $32.7 million contract to build the two-story, 64,000-sf facility, which will provide collaborative engineering suites, open and private offices, conference rooms, training areas, and dining amenities for approximately 164 employees.

Mercyhurst University opened the MCPc Cyber Education Center in August of 2018 in Erie, Pa. Accommodating programs for the Ridge College of Intelligence Studies and Applied Sciences, the $2 million facility houses MCPc's Security Operations Center as well as providing two computer mathematics labs, a cybersecurity lab, and several collaboration areas. Designed by Keyman Asefi, a faculty member in the department of Interior Architecture and Design, the 8,000-sf center is located on the ground floor of Hammermill Library.

The United Kingdom's Medical Research Council is planning to build the £75 million London Institute of Medical Sciences. Designed by Hawkins\Brown, the 110,000-sf project will provide collaborative biomedical research facilities including two CL-2 biocontainment labs, vibration-mitigated imaging suites, core biotechnology labs, write-up areas, and a data center. The nine-story facility is being created in partnership with Imperial College London and will accommodate up to 45 research groups currently dispersed around Hammersmith Hospital.

Exact Sciences broke ground in August of 2018 on its new corporate headquarters in Madison, Wis. Located in the University Research Park developed by UW Madison, the five-story, 138,000-sf Innovation One facility will be fully leased by Exact Sciences. The $60 million project was designed by Valerio Dewalt Train Associates and is being built by general contractor Findorff.

Texas Tech University is planning to build a $90 million facility for the School of Veterinary Medicine in Amarillo. Located at the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, the two-building complex will include a clinical skills training center for large animal procedures. The school will accommodate 60 students per year for a total enrollment of 240 for the four-year program, as well as serving up to 200 graduate students who are not seeking a doctorate in veterinary medicine. Construction could begin as early as fall of 2019 with completion in fall of 2021.